Set You Free
by IctCowgrrl
Summary: This my take on why Arizona might have cheated on Callie. No longer a one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone. This idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I decided to write it down. This is my first attempt outside of SVU fiction, so I hope you enjoy it.

It is a one-shot for now.

Leave your thoughts after you read it please.

* * *

Music played in the background, mingling with the soft murmuring of various conversions taking place in the room and the tinkling of ice falling into glasses as drinks were being poured at the bar. Sitting alone at one end of the bar, she looked down into the glass, staring at the play of light on the amber liquid before taking another long sip. Replacing the now empty glass, save for the remains of the ice cubes, Arizona gently slides the glass toward the bartender, indicating she wanted another drink.

Just as it arrived, she was jostled slightly as someone sat next to her. Taking the glass in hand, she looks to her right and watches Bailey get adjusted on the stool next to hers. Ignoring her, she takes another sip of the scotch in her glass.

"Drinking doesn't solve anything, Arizona."

She didn't answer after sitting the scotch back onto the bar. She hadn't wanted to come tonight, but as a board member, she couldn't skip out on this event. She simply took another drink. A burst of familiar laughter could be heard from across the room and the blonde glanced over to where her wife was flirting with a handsome man.

Bailey followed her gaze and let out a small sigh, then looked back at Arizona.

"You need to be going over there and apologizing and stopping all this nonsense..."

It hurt, it hurt beyond measure, but it was better this way.

"Callie can do what she wants, Bailey. She's free now."

"Mmhmm, that's why you're over here pickling your liver and looking at her with those sad puppy eyes. Look Arizona, what you did was a bad thing, but you are not..."

Arizona slammed the glass back to the bar and regarded the shorter woman.

"I did what I had to do and I really don't want to talk about it, Miranda."

She gathered her clutch and spun the chair so she could get up and leave. Arizona stood up and paused for a moment to get her balance so she could leave. When she took a step, she almost faltered as she wobbled unsteadily.

Bailey reached out a hand to steady her.

"You're drunk. How many did you have?"

Arizona jerked away, as she took another faltering step.

"Leave me alone. I'm fine!"

Bailey sighed and just looked at her blonde friend for a moment. She could see the stress on the woman's face and the sadness in her eyes. She knew Arizona was prideful, but there was something else there she couldn't put her finger on.

"Arizona," she lay her hand on her arm again, ready to catch her if she started to fall. "Let me help you."

The blonde swung her head around and regarded the other woman, her piercing blue eyes narrowing.

"I don't need your help. I don't want your help. If you feel the need to help someone, go help Callie. I'm the whore, remember?"

Bailey had had enough and stood in front of her friend, gripping both of her forearms in her hands.

"Stop it! Stop it, Arizona. I'm your friend, too. You're hurting, too. You made this mistake..."

"Only I didn't! It wasn't a mistake. I...she...," she stopped the rambling before she could get started and blurt everything out. She felt a rush of tears stinging the back of her eyes and she tried to hold them at bay. She jerked away again and took unsteady steps toward the exit. "I need go."

Bailey wouldn't let it go and went to steady Arizona, but kept walking with her toward the exit.

"Arizona Robbins, what did you do?" her lowered voice betrayed her disbelief at the blonde woman's words.

Arizona just sighed and stopped at the door that lead outside. She didn't try to pull away from Bailey and just looked at the shorter woman. Her head was spinning a little bit, the effects of all the alcohol she drank.

"She's free. I gave her an out. Now she can walk away without feeling guilty."

"What do you mean?" Bailey looked at her friend in shock. "What makes you think Callie wants to walk away?"

A short laugh/sob left Arizona's lips.

"I know what she told you before your wedding, that you should run. That marriage was a trap. She wants the Arizona she fell in love, not the one-legged, fucked up mess I am now. So...she's free to flirt, to walk away, to..."

She pulled away again as she bit her lip to stop the sobs that wanted to escape. She brushed her tears away and shook her head.

"Callie can find someone who makes her happy now."

Arizona walked out the door, stumbling slightly, but quickly righted herself and headed toward the parking lot.

Bailey stood there in shock and watched Arizona digging through her clutch. She started to follow her again, concerned that she was looking for car keys, but stopped and nearly sighed in relief as the blonde pulled a pack of cigarettes from her purse and found a place to seat down to have a smoke. Deciding she would give the blonde some space, she turned to go back to the party and stopped in her tracks.

Callie stood there with tears crawling down her face, a look of shock and profound heartbreak on it. She was focused on the door, but glanced at Bailey.

"How much of that..."

"All of it."

Callie stepped toward the door, torn between her renewed fury at Arizona's infidelity and profoundly sad that her wife felt so broken. Dark eyes watched as Arizona took a long drag from her cigarette and wiped at the tears on her cheek. She placed a hand on the door, ready to push it open when she saw Alex approach Arizona and sit by her. He took the cigarette from her hand and tossed it to the cement, crushing it beneath the toe of his shoe. They spoke briefly before a car pulled up and Alex helped Arizona to it and opened the door for her to get in into it. The car drove away with her wife inside.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone. Thanks for the tremendous reception and reviews for this story. I've decided to go ahead and extend it.**

**I hope you enjoy it and remember, review and leave me your thoughts.**

**Peace.**

* * *

**Oh oh oh, there's a place that I know**  
** It's not pretty there and few have ever gone**  
** If I show it to you now**  
** Will it make you run away?**

**Dark Side by Kelli Clarkson**

"What do I say to her, I mean...wha-what was she thinking?" Callie felt numb, her hands gripped the push bar on the glass door leading outside. She could no longer see the red lights coming from Alex's car as it left the parking lot and drove down the street.

Bailey suddenly felt uncomfortable and shifted from foot to foot. She had known Callie longer, but she knew both of them pretty well and cared about both of them and not just as a couple.

"I - I don't know. You need to talk to her."

Callie felt anger form a small ball in her stomach, making her sick and frustrated. She smacked the door handle and turned to her friend.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this? She gave me an out? I mean really!? I'm not the bad guy here!" Tears overflowed as she tried not to scream at her friend, but she felt so angry and confused.

Bailey regarded her for a moment and sighed. She never liked getting in the middle of people's personal problems, but Callie and Arizona held a special place in her heart.

"Neither is she, Callie. She did something bad, horrible, but she's...lost. She's changed and maybe you don't want to accept that," she took a couple of steps toward Callie and looked her in the eyes. "She thinks you wanted out, you need to figure out of if you do."

Callie wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked down at the carpeted floor, her mind swirling. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke.

"What if she's right? What if I wanted out, to walk away and pretend this never happened? God, who hasn't thought that when things are horrible and tough and just...overwhelming?"

Bailey swallowed hard as she stamped down her own heartache for both of her friends.

"Then, if you want out, you walk away now. If you still love her... You need to decide if you want to fight for your marriage or end it now."

"Why is it up to me!? I'm just so freakin' tired and I just want my wife back!"

Callie covered her face, her shoulders shaking as her emotions overwhelmed her and she broke down.

The shorter woman walked up to Callie and rubbed a hand up and down her back. She didn't know what to say. Arizona wasn't the same bubbly blonde she used to be. When Bailey first met her, she was zipping through the hospital's halls on her heelies. She had changed, hardened. Her super-magic smile, as Callie had called it, was rare now. The plane crash and amputation changed her.

"You have to decide, Callie. Do you love her enough to fight or is it time to walk away?"

Bailey gave her one last gentle pat on the back and walked back to the party, leaving Callie to contemplate her words. This was something that no one could help the Latina decide, she had to look deep within herself to figure out if she wanted to fight for her relationship or move on with her life. They had a child together, so they would always have a connection and they would need to learn how to get along for Sofia's sake.

Callie cried for a few moments, glad to be away from everyone while she was having her breakdown. She finally took several deep breaths to calm down and found a tissue in her clutch. She gently wiped her tears away and look another deep breath to center herself. Her mind was still swirling with this new information.

Her thoughts were nebulous at best as they would try to form and evaporate before she could truly contemplate them. She needed to take the time and think about everything, but not tonight. Tonight she wanted to spend some time forgetting about everything and concentrate on the fundraiser. She could concentrate on her future tomorrow and begin to try and figure out whether it would be with or without Arizona.

* * *

The alarm blared at 6:00 a.m., just like it did every morning during the work week. Arizona gradually woke up to the annoying sound and reached over to shut it off. She slowly opened one eye and looked at the alarm clock when it failed to be silenced as she pushed the snooze button. She stabbed the button again and it still blared loudly. In a burst of red hot anger, she got picked up the clock and flung it off the nightstand, toward one of the dressers. She heard the clock slam into the piece of furniture and the alarm was finally silenced.

She maneuvered her way from the bed and into the bathroom by using her crutches. After making use of the toilet, she turned on the water in the shower and carefully transferred herself onto her shower chair. She let the hot water cascade over her head and body as she tried to fight the hangover. She hadn't had a hangover in years, but now one was making her regret the scotch she choose to drink at the fundraiser. She tried to remember her morning schedule, but her headache was pounding and she had trouble concentrating on the mental task. Sighing, she lowered her head and let the water beat down on her shoulders and back.

Arizona finished with her shower and made her way back to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. She contemplated the alarm clock laying on the floor with only slight regret. It had felt good to lash out in that one moment, something she hadn't allowed herself to do very often during the past year. She felt as if she was always walking on eggshells and suppressing her desire to be angry or be sad because she didn't want it to be "all about the leg."

She blinked and tried to refocus on getting ready for work, but that's when she noticed it. That's when she felt it. The silence in the apartment felt so heavy, surrounding her like a smothering blanket. It permeated every corner of the apartment and she felt her soul sink at the nothingness in the rooms around her.

An apartment in which a child lived was never silent. Even when Sofia was sleeping, the quietness in the apartment was warm and comforting. The apartment was alive with Sofia and Callie living there. Now it was just...silent.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone, thanks for all the comments and follows. I'm really glad most of you like this story so far.

As you can tell, this is deviating from the show just a bit, so enjoy the ride and as always, leave read and review please!

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An early morning rain scrubbed the streets clean and left a sweet smell in the Seattle air. The sun peeked through the clouds, making the colors of the city more vivid. However, Arizona wasn't in a mood for vivid colors. Her hangover had receded to a dull roar, until she stepped outside. Wincing, she dug through her oversized bag for her sunglasses and quickly used them to shield her eyes from the offending orb in the sky.

Even though it was only across the street, she drove her car into the hospital parking lot and parked in her usual space. It was another concession that she had had to make because of the amputation and she hated it. While she could easily walk to work in the mornings, walking back home after a grueling shift was out of the question. Her residual limb simply hurt too much to make the trip most of the time.

Arizona didn't bother removing her sunglasses as she went to the first coffee cart in the courtyard in front of the hospital. She was hoping that drinking coffee would appease her hangover and it would retreat without any need to take an analgesic to wipe away the last vestiges of pain. She hated that slight fog she sometimes got with painkillers, even the mild ones affected her sometimes if she had a headache for they certainly didn't work when her leg was giving her problems.

She walked into the hospital, sunglasses still in place and clutching her coffee like it was a lifeline. She gave those who greeted her a slight nod as she headed for the elevators and the refuge of her office. Pressing the up button, she waited for the elevator car to come whisk her away. She was suddenly jostled from behind and looked over her shoulder in annoyance at the offender.

"Oh, hey, sorry Boss," Alex gave her a weak smile. He glanced at her briefly and lifted a brow. "Too much party last night?"

Her lips formed a tight line as she turned back to the elevator and had a sip of coffee.

"Something like that."

Alex grinned behind her back and leaned over her shoulder.

"Ya know, I don't think I've ever seen you come in with a hangover. It's so unprofessional Dr. Robbins," he playfully teased her, secretly enjoying seeing his boss in this state. He didn't see her at the gala and thought she might have been enjoying herself for once.

Arizona rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses and took another sip of coffee as she tried to will away her headache.

"Keep it up Karev and I will put you on pre and post-ops all week."

"Eh, even if you do I know how to delegate now."

Alex stepped up beside her and started to say something else but was interrupted when the elevator door opened for them. Cristina Yang started to step through the door and stopped dead at the site of Arizona. A slight smile curved her lips as she exchanged a glance with Alex.

"Wow...I don't think I've ever..."

"Shut it Yang," Arizona snapped out quickly and moved to the back of the elevator car.

Alex smirked at Cristina.

"I should take a picture, don'tcha think?"

"I do. It needs to be documented. No one would believe us if you didn't."

Cristina retrieved her iPhone from her pocket and snapped a quick picture of Arizona.

"Cristina Yang!"

"Oh chill Blondie, besides it's evidence. After last night, half the hospital thinks you keeled over." She assumed that Arizona had heard about Callie's sob story that she had made up to garner donations at the gala.

Arizona pulled off her sunglasses and looked at the cardiothoracic surgeon.

"Why would they think that?" she scoffed as she slipped the shades into her purse and sipped from her coffee.

Cristina answered without thinking, chuckling as she looked at the picture she had just taken and text it to Alex's phone.

"Callie used some sob story about how her wife died in the plane crash to get money out of the donors."

Alex stopped looking at his phone and looked at Arizona, then Cristina. He had noticed the blonde's face pale even more than it was and nudged his housemate with his elbow.

"Dude...," he rolled his eyes back towards the blonde doctor as he caught Cristina's gaze.

Cristina blinked and looked at him, then glanced to Arizona. The blonde's face, which had been pale, was now flushed red as anger and embarrassment coursed through her. She didn't say anything else and, when the door finally opened, she scurried out of the elevator. She moved quickly, as if on autopilot toward her office.

"Nice going Yang." Alex shifted his messenger bag on his shoulder and shook his head as he too headed out of the elevator.

"I didn't know...I just thought everyone had overhead it. Shit."

* * *

Overnight the anger had brewed and Callie was ready to murder someone as she stormed through the doors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. She managed to be pleasant with her daughter and the staff at the hospital daycare as she dropped the tiny Latina off for the day. She headed for the pediatrics floor to speak with her wife.

She really didn't want to see her or speak with her, but after last night she decided to confront Arizona about what she had overhead. She was livid and wanted to finally get to the bottom of what had happened. Callie began mumbling to herself in Spanish as she waited impatiently for the elevator to take her to the peds floor.

"¿Ella me estaba dando una salida? ¿Realmente? ¿Quién hace eso? ¿Quién diablos se acuesta con otra mujer y entonces intenta justificarlo diciendo que me estaba dando una salida?" *

The other people in her elevator car sidestepped out of her way as her mumbling grew a bit louder and a bit angrier. Finally the elevator dinged and the doors opened onto the pediatrics floor. Callie stalked out of the elevator, having worked herself up even more and headed for the nurse's desk. She spotted Alex filling out a chart and barked at him.

"Karev! Where is she?"

Alex continued charting, not bothering to look up at Callie.

"Torres. Who?"

This inattention seemed to further perturb her and she huffed a little.

"Who do you think?"

He finally signed his name and looked at her as he pocketed his pen.

"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked?"

Callie glared at him, gestured and began to speak rapidly in Spanish.

"Mi esposa cachonda infiel! ¿Sabes dónde está o no?" **

Alex held up his hand to cut off her rant. There could only be one person who could make her this mad.

"Robbins is in surgery."

Without acknowledging him further, Callie spun and headed back toward the elevators so she could get to the surgical floor. Alex exchanged glances with one of the nurses at the desk.

"Should I warn her?" the nurse asked, reaching for the phone.

Alex shook his head.

"I think it is best if we stay out of it...and duck for cover," he told her as he scooped up a chart and headed to see his patient.

* * *

Translations (I used an online translation, so if this isn't accurate, I apologize)

* She was giving me an out? Really? Who does that? Who in the hell sleeps with another woman and then tries to justify it by saying she was giving me an out?

** My cheating slutty wife! Do you know where she is or not?


	4. Chapter 4 Pt I

**Hey everyone, thanks for all of the follows and favorites, I am really glad you like this story. As always, enjoy the read and leave me your thoughts.**

* * *

**Feeling like i can't forgive but i want to**

** It's like i don't know how to live i'm afraid to...**

**What I Wouldn't Give by Holly Brook**

Callie stepped out of the elevator and stalked down the corridor of the surgical unit. She marched over to the OR board, scanning it and looking for one particular name. Her fury had increased and her angry muddled her thoughts as she kept looking at the board, searching for the room number she needed.

Owen Hunt was erasing and writing names as he assigned the ORs for the day's surgery schedule. When he heard someone come up to the board, he glanced over and offered a slight smile.

"Hey. I don't have you on the schedule until this afternoon." He kept working as she kept looking.

"I know," she said dismissively and kept scanning the whiteboard, then "Aha!" She turned away and stalked toward the OR in question, not thinking about still being dressed in her civilian clothing.

Owen glanced over as she left, then he did a double take as he saw her heading for an OR.

"Callie?" He called out, trying to get her attention when he noticed her trajectory. "Callie!"

She stopped when she heard her name, huffed and spin around.

"What!?"

He regarded her for a moment, looking a bit uncomfortable and nervous for a moment. He had never seen Callie this angry and he swallowed before he continued.

"Uh, where are you going?"

"To find my no good puta de una mujer. Tenemos algunas cosas para discutir. ¿Por qué?"i

Callie had reverted back into Spanish, her eyes narrowing slightly as her hands curled into fists.

Owen blinked and wasn't quite sure what to say, mainly because he was unsure what she had said. Before he could respond, she turned away and began stalking toward the OR again. He shook himself out of his stupor and called after her, trotting to physically stop her if he was forced to do so.

"Torres! Wait, you can't..." He eyed her up and down, motioning to her civilian clothing, but she misinterpreted his words.

"¿Llevan su lado? ¿Esto es porque me engañaste Cristina, así que ya sabes creo que entiendes lo que hizo? No te atrevas a Owen."ii

Callie started to turn away again, but he reached out and put a hand on her arm to halt her progress.

"Callie?"

She jerked her arm away from him.

"Déjame en paz, no es asunto tuyo."iii

He put up his hands and shook his head, still not sure what she said, but he did recognize Cristina and his names. He indicated her outfit.

"Yo-Your clothes. You can't go into the OR dressed like that."

She blinked, not expecting that and looked down at herself.

"Dammit! She has me all...loco y no pensando en lo que estoy haciendo."iv

She took a deep breath, blew it out and gave Owen a wan smile.

"I'm sorry, jus-just forget what I said," she shook her head and headed for the gallery overlooking the OR where her wife was operating.

Owen watched her leave and scratched the back of his thinking if he knew what she had said, he might be more offended. He shrugged and went back to the task of filling out the OR board.

* * *

She pushed open the door to the OR gallery with a little more force than necessary. It banged against the wall and the small gathering of interns and residents looked up from their notes, conversations or snacks. She ignored the looks, some of which were ones of annoyance, and instead focused on the surgeons on the floor below.

"Wilson, retract a little more please," Arizona didn't even look up as she continued with the surgery on one of her tiny humans.

Hearing her voice just seemed to add fuel to the fire and Callie stepped to the intercom and pressed the talk button.

"Dr. Robbins, when you're finished there, I need to discuss something with you."

The Latina managed to keep a professional tone, but just barely.

Arizona heard her, but kept working. She didn't react or say anything for a few moments, then asked for irrigation. Jo Wilson glanced her way, then briefly glanced to the gallery.

"Dr. Robbins..., Dr. Torres..."

"Wilson, retract just a little more."

Her tone was cool and professional, but it was clear to everyone observing that Arizona wanted the intern to mind her own business.

"Dr. Robbins?" Callie narrowed her gaze a bit and spoke into the intercom again. "Arizona, dammit, don't ignore me!"

The group of interns and residents looked back and forth from Torres to Robbins as if they were watching a ping pong match and leaned to whisper to each other as they observed what was going on.

"Dr. Wilson, would you kindly inform Dr. Torres that the dead can't speak," she still never looked up and her hands never stopped working on her patient.

Callie felt her heart drop a little at her wife's words. She honestly didn't think the blonde was aware of the story that was concocted for the benefit of the hospital's donors. However, she wasn't going to be shamed into silence and she punched the intercom again.

"Arizona..."

The blonde interrupted her and finally looked up at Wilson, her blue eyes narrowing.

"Tell her the dead can't hear either," her words had a bite to them, masking the emotions she fought back, which threatened to disrupt her surgery.

"Dr. Tor-Torres," Jo hesitantly spoke, looking up to the gallery again.

"Oh, no. No nononono. You don't get to turn this around on me. This is about you and your assumptions that I wanted out of our marriage."

Arizona had had enough and glanced up at the gallery. She could see the audience they had, part of which was seated in the gallery, as well as the operating room with her.

"Dr. Torres, this is neither the time nor the place for this discussion."

"Don't tell me when and where I can speak, Dr. Robbins. I have a right to speak my mind, wherever and whenever I wish."

It was as if she couldn't restrain herself. Callie had no intentions of starting a fight over the intercom, but one thing had lead to another and here they were.

"Dr. Torres. Leave the gallery. You are disrupting my OR."

Arizona's voice could have instantaneously frozen water and her eyes were blue ice chips.

Callie fumed and started to respond, but was quickly cut off.

"Now!"

They stared at each other for several moments, Arizona with her hands out of the patient, her instruments set to the side and her gloved hands folded together to keep from breaking the sterile field.

Callie finally caved and turned with a huff, muttering in Spanish again.

Arizona glanced at the others in the gallery, then back to Jo, before selecting an instrument and looking back down.

"I need more retraction, Wilson."

She blinked back the burn from her eyes and tried to ignore the many stares from the audience in the gallery and from those in the OR. She continued with her procedure, feeling the tension in her shoulders and along her body as she continued to work silently, only speaking to give instructions to Wilson or ask for an instrument from one of the nurses.

Just as she was finishing up, she felt a slow burning sensation starting to develop in her residual limb as she completed the last stitch. She placed her instruments down on the tray and tried not to grimace as she glanced at Jo.

"Close up, Dr. Wilson. Good work."

She turned and walked away, trying not to limp as the pain suddenly grew worse and seemed to shoot down her leg, a leg that no longer existed. Arizona peeled off her gloves and gown, tossing them in the appropriate bins as she walked out of the OR to the scrub room. She quickly scrubbed out, knowing she needed to go speak with worried parents before she could go hide out in her office and try to work through another episode of phantom leg pain.

Arizona sighed as she also felt a headache developing as she thought about a possible confrontation with her wife. Walking out of the scrub room, she stopped at the nurse's station and rubbed at her temples. She smiled slightly at the nurse manning the station.

"Hey, Ruth. Is there any Motrin in the first aid kit?"

She rubbed the back of her neck and thought how great a massage would feel just as she felt another pang shoot down her leg. She grimaced and looked at the nurse, checking through the first aid kit.

"Find any?"

She snapped a bit anxiously. She knew the Motrin would be almost ineffectual against the phantom leg pain, but it would head off her headache.

"Sorry, Dr. Robbins. Looks like we're out," the older woman gave her an sympathetic smile.

"Dammit. Get that kit refilled. It is ridiculous you can't find a damn pill in a hospital when you need it."

Arizona immediately felt bad, but another pang hit before she could apologize and she used her fist to hit her thigh.

"Dammit!"

* * *

i"...of a wife, we have something to discuss, why?"

ii "Are you taking her side? Is this because you cheated on Cristina, so you know think you understand what she did? Don't you dare Owen."

iii "Leave me alone, it is none of your business."

iv "crazy and and not thinking about what I am doing"


End file.
